Elaine Luria

The American people are counting on us, and future generations are depending on the investments that we make in this Congress.

This bipartisan bill that I introduced with my colleague Congressman Rob Wittman will help ensure the bay remains a vibrant and beautiful destination for the next generation.

This bipartisan bill will help ensure that the Bay remains a vibrant and beautiful destination for the next generation.

They are problems we are dealing with right now, today, this very moment.

The Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act, H.R. 1620, will fully fund the Chesapeake Bay program for the next 5 years.

I ask members of this committee on both sides of the aisle to come together to address the critical infrastructure needs of coastal communities like mine.

Congress must come to the rescue.

The American people are counting on us and future generations are depending on the investments we make in this Congress.

Access to high-speed internet is essential to participate in the modern economy.

Secretary Stackley's response at the time was that he would go as far to say that it is the cornerstone or our maritime strategy.

Has the United States Navy ever made the determination that the presence of an aircraft carrier strike group has had a significant role in deterring a conflict from going from phase 0 to phase 3?

The current law says that we need to have 11 aircraft carriers. But you are bringing us a budget that actually is asking us in your 30 ship--your shipbuilding plan to never attain that goal.

As they make that tough journey in their service and faced--our military families are the--they are the last families that should be faced with the stress of choosing whether to send their children to a bad school or poor-performing school.

This force is designed to do that all the way to 2030.

If that vision changes every year, do we really have a clear vision?

One of the things that strikes me the most when I look at the budget is the changes year over year to a 30-year shipbuilding plan.

I was wondering if you have an update on that now.

Have you estimated the additional full-time equivalents or additional costs or additional personnel that you will need in order to process these claims for Blue Water veterans?

Thank you, again, Secretary, for appearing before our Committee, and I wanted to thank you for your recommendations against an appeal of Procopio.

The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, H.R. 299, enjoys broad bipartisan support as we collectively work to compensate these veterans.

Do you intend to treat this class of veterans as equally eligible for Priority Group 6 VA healthcare benefits based on service within the Republic of Vietnam?

I applaud this step by VA toward recognizing Blue Water Navy Veterans as eligible for the same benefits as their fellow Vietnam veterans.

Thank you for your commitment while testifying before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on March 26, 2019, to not recommend an appeal of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's decision in Procopio v. Wilkie.

I don't think that the President is going to turn to the Secretary of Defense and say, 'Where are my unmanned surface vessels?' when a conflict breaks out in the world.

They are going to turn and ask, 'Where are my aircraft carriers?'